Reversing mechanism for skids of paper



29, 1.950 G. c. MUTCHLER 2,520,252

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR SKIDS OF PAPER Filed Aug. 1, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 il' L ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REVERSING MECHANISM FOR SKIDS OF PAPE Claims.

The invention relates to a method of handling skids of paper, particularly paper coming from a press and printed on one side only, and to improved mechanism for reversing such skids of paper.

In the printing industry, and particularly in connection with automatic sheet fed machines, sheets of paper coming from a press and printed on one side only are delivered from the press and arranged in a pile on a skid with the printed side up. Before the unprinted sides of the sheets can be printed the sheets must be reversed, and under present conditions this is a very laborious operation, necessitating repeated handling of the sheets. It is the object of my invention to; provide turning means for reversing the entire pile of papers as a unit so that the unprinted sides of the sheets may then be delivered to a press for completion of the printing operation. A similar procedure is desirable in connection with the folding of sheets of paper.

The reversing operation is accomplished in accordance with my invention by the use of a turning device equipped with two sets of slidable lifting and holding fingers adapted to initially lift the pile to a position for turning and then to firmly engage the pile both at the top and bottom thereof so as to hold the papers firmly in position during the turning movement. The turning device is mounted for rotation about .a horizontal axis through an angle of 180 so as to completely reverse the pile as a whole, after which the sets of lifting and holding fingers are. separated and the pile lowered to a position where it may be carried by an ordinary transfer truck for further printing or folding.

Th invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, which are intended as illustrative of the inventive thought,

rather than as limiting the invention to the precise details set forth therein.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 to 5 are side elevational views of the turning device largely diagrammatic in character showing successive steps in the holding and reversing of a pile of papers in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the turning device in a position corresponding to that diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 2, the pile being represented in dash lines;

Fig. l is a top plan view of the same; V

Fig, 8 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of the turning device on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view on line lll6 of Fig. 8 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on line ll-ll of Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a detail taken on line l2-l 2 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a detail taken on line I3-l3 of Fig. 10 showing a reversing pinion;

Fig. 14 is a further detail view of the reversing pinion and associated mechanism taken on line Hll4 of Fig, 10; and

Fig. 15 is a detail view similar to Fig. 13 but with the turning device reversed from the position indicated in Fig. 13.

Referring more in detail to the drawing A represents generally my improved reversing or turning machine, shown in Fig, 1 as supporting thereon a pile of papers B to be reversed or turned printed side down. The pile of papers may be delivered to the turning machine by means of an ordinary transfer truck or the like. The pile B may be supported upon a skid C of any suitable construction, better shown in Fig. 6, and having four depending legs. A similar skid indicated at C is placed upside-down upon the top of the pile after the pile has been delivered to the machine.

In operation the pile with skids C and C at the bottom and top thereof, respectively, is then clamped between a pair of movable fingers as illustrated in Fig. 2, the lower set of fingers holding the skid C and the upper set of fingers holding the skid C and being moved to intermediate positions as shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the entire pile is reversed 180 through the steps indicated in Figs. 3 and 1, after which the holding fingers are separated and the pile B lowered to the position indicated in Fig. 5, the skid C being then uppermost and the skid C being lowermost. The upper skid C is then removed and the pile may be delivered to a press or folding machine by means of an ordinary lift truck or the like.

As shown, the turning machine A is provided with a floor or base H3 having a pair of longitudinal grooves H formed therein as indicated in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11. The base it! is provided with a pair of triangular side pieces l2 carrying horizontal pivots l3, 13 for the turning member or pile carrier M which is adapted to support the stack B and to be turned about the pivots l3, l3 through a 180 angle.

The turning member or carrier it comprises a normally vertical reversible backing'member it: against which one side or vertical edge of the stack is positioned, which backing member is provided with upper and lower sets of parallel slots l6 and IT for two sets of fingers l8 and I9, respectively.

Extending from the opposite sides of the plate 15 are semicircular rack members 20, 20 provided with teeth 2! which are adapted to be engaged by a suitable gear or gears 22 as illustrated in Figs. 10, 13, Hand 15, the gear or gearsbeing adapted to be driven by one or: more motors.23 through: suitable intermediate gearin 24. The motor 23 is of the reversible type and may be operated to turm the reversing member E i through an angle of 180. Preferably one gear 22 is providedfor-eachmeme ber, the two gears being connected by a transverse shaft (not shown).

As clearly shown in Fig. 8 the fingersJB andl9 are carried by plates 25 and 25? the-ends-of-'whichplates are slidable in grooves 28 formed in-side. bars 29 attached to the .front plate I5, see Figs. 9 to 12. The slidable plates. 25 .and,2.6.areadapted to be actuatedtowardlor.from each other bytwo sets of sprocket chains. Edand .31 (Figs. 8.and..l), to which chains the. plates. are. attached; As shown the sprocket chains 31] run over. upper. and lower sprocketsfiZ and 33..carried.byshafts 3'4 and 35, respectively, having their ends mounteedin the. side bars. 29.. Thesprocketchains-3l areisimilarly. provided withlsprockets 3B and;3'l carried on shafts 381 and-.-9, respectively, said shafts also having their ends mounted in the side bars. 23'. Inthe. construction shown the. shaft 38is driven by a suitable. reversible motor 40 through intermediate. gearing ,4 i. Inv the .ar-

rangementlshown the. two. setsof sprocketchains 3Uand' 3'! are driven from the. same. source of power. Tothis end theshafts 35..and.39, driving the. upper andlbwer. sets. of. sprocket. chains 30 and. 31, respectively, are interconnected. at. their. oppositeends by suitable. gearing .42.

Reference-hasbeenmade tothe. skids C and C. which are. adapted to. be. placed oneatthe. bottom and the other at the top of the. pile .B to be reversed. Thesemay beof any desired'con stituctio'n, but accordingto the pref erred lembodie men't' eachcornprises, abase plateiilhaving, a pair oflmetalistrapsb'i extending along the 1011- gitudinalj edges thereol, each strap having .a pair. of. loops52'. at-theends. thereof to provide. legs for the skids, there. being. four suchlegsinall r for each. skid,- one. at. eaclrof the four corners offiqhe base. plate. The. fingers lhand iii. of. the reversing mechanisinwhcn in the holding position are. adaptedto. engage the skids across. thcstraps- Flintermediate the pairs of legs 52.

Movement. of the reversing or turning. member or carrier. l A may be limited to. 180? by engagement of opposite. endportions 55 and 55.01 the. plate 15. with a fixed abutment. Whichmay be part. of. av bracketbl'Q whichcarriesgear. 22 enaging the teeth.2i on the semi-circular rack 20.

The. operation of. the. device will be apparent from the foregoing description. Assumingthe reversingmechanism A. to be. inthe. position shown in Fig. 1 a pile. of paper B carried upona. skid C. which. paper may, be printed on the upper surface as indicated in Fig. 9., isbrought to the turning. device A by means of a suitable truck. The skid and pile of paper resting thereon are. placed. on. thefloor. or. base. Iii of the reversing mechanismover the lewer set offingers! 8*, which fingers are embedded in grooves H so.:as. to be. flusl1.with..the surface of the floor. In. such positiOn. the fingers. 19 extend between the pairs. of legs of' the. skid, C. The. other skid. C?

4. is now placed on top of the pile B with the legs 52 thereof extending upwardly. The fingers l8 and 19 are then actuated through the motor 40, sprocket chains 36 and 3!, and carrying plates 25 and 26 to simultaneously raise the lower fingers l9, carrying with them the pile of papers B with upper and lower skids C and C, and at the same time lowering the fingers l8 until they engage the top. of. theipile and hold the same securely in position, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 8. It will be noted that in this position the fingers l8 and 19 are equally distant from their respective ends of the plate 15. The finger actuating motor is thenstoppcd'andthe carrier reversing motor 23 is then actuated to swing the carrier or turning mechanismJkIBD" through the horizontal position indicated in Fig. 3 to the reversed vertical position showninFig. 4 where the carrier IA is stopped. by engagement of the plate extension 55 with the bracket 5'! carrying gear 22, or with the geanitselfl. The,m0tor,23..is then stopped either automatically or manually.

The.2 motor 481 is then. again actuated to. sepa. rate. the.. sets..of.fing ers. iiiand. iflcarried by the sliding plates 25" and t the. floor. andd'aising the other set of fingers I9 so. thatlthepilemay thenbe taken by. means of a truck or other. suitable means to a press or foldingmachine, ,where. additional operations are to be. performedon th individual'papers in the reversedjpile Bl. Where. thereversal of the. pile is for. thepurpose of completing .a printing .operationzit willbe apparent that. the printed sides of the papers. are now facing downwardly. and

theunprintedisides are. facing upwardly, so that the-individual papers onthe pile arenow adapted for. such further operations. .as. it may. be. desirable to perform.

The invention has been describediin detailfor the purpose of'illustration, butit willLbe obvious that numerous modifications and variations may be resortedtowithout departing from the spirit of'the invention. Thus, itwill be apparent that any suitable means may be employed for performing the reversing operation and for moving thefingers l8 and 19 toward and away from each other. Likewisaany suitable means may be employedfor' limiting the reversing movement to The semicircular. racks 20. may both. be provided'with gear teetheach engaged by suit able reversinggears and'driven from the same or separate. sources of power. Other modifications'and'lvariations which will be apparent to those-skilled in the art may. be resortedto without"'departing'fromthe spirit of the invention. Instead of providing gear teeth on the semicircular members sprocket-chains or the like may be providedon the .arcuate surfaces of saidimembers each' engageable by suitable gears or sprockets.

Another arrangement for. driving the carrier I4 is to provide gears 22; one for each rack member 20, which gears may be interconnected through intermediate gearingand interconnecting shaft extending through the. base of the machine.

fclaim:

1. .An apparatusfor. reversing piles of. paper. in bulk, comprising. a.fixed base, a pair. of spaced sidemembers supported-by the base, a pile carrier mounted'between said side members for rotation through an.angle.of 180. with reference to the base andside members,.said carrier includinga reversible normally vertical backingmember, 2.

Lb, thereby simultaneously. lowering the. pile. carried by, the fingers l8 and pair of vertically spaced pile holding members slidably mounted on the carrier and projecting outwardly from the backing, said holding members being adapted to serve alternately as top and bottom supports for the pile depending on the position of the carrier, means for positively moving said members toward or away from each other and with reference to said backing member to raise or lower the pile and to grip or release the pile, means for actuating the carrier to reverse the same together with the spaced holding members and the pile carried thereby, and means for limiting the swinging movement in either direction.

2. An apparatus for reversing piles of paper in bulk, comprising a fixed base, a pair of spaced side members supported by the base, a pile carrier mounted on said side members for rotation through an angle of 180 with reference to the base and side members, said carrier including a reversible normall vertical backing member, a pair of vertically spaced pile holding members slidably mounted on the carrier and projecting outwardly from the backing, said holding members being adapted to serve alternately as top and bottom supports for the pile depending on the position of the carrier, means for positively moving said members toward or away from each other and with reference to said backing member to raise or lower the pile and to grip or release the pile, means for actuating the carrier to reverse the same together with the spaced holding members and the pile carried thereby, and means for limiting the swinging movement in either direction, said backing member having slots therethrough to permit passage of said pile holding members.

3. An apparatus for reversing piles of paper in bulk comprising a stationary base member having a pair of floor portions upon either of which a pile of paper may be deposited before or after reversal, a pair of spaced side members carried by said base member, a pile carrier between said side members for reversal through an angle of 180, means for actuating said carrier to reverse the same and means for limiting the swinging movement of the carrier in either direction, said carrier including a normally vertical backing member against which one side of a pile of paper is adapted to be positioned, said backing member extending between the two side members, and separating the two floor portions of said base, a pair of vertically spaced pile holding means slidably mounted with reference to said backing member and projecting outwardly therefrom, said holding members being adapted to alternately engage the top or bottom of the stack depending on the position of the carrier, and means for positively moving said holding members toward or away from each other, and with reference to the backing member, whereby the pile is raised or lowered and gripped or released by said holding members.

4, An apparatus for reversing piles of paper in bulk comprising a stationary base member having a pair of floor portions upon either of which a pile of paper may be deposited before or after reversal, a pair of spaced side members carried by said base member, a pile carrier between said side members for reversal through an angle of means for actuating said carrier to reverse the same and means for limiting the swinging movement of the carrier in either direction, said carrier including a normally vertical backing member against which one side of a pile of paper is adapted to be positioned, said backing member extending between the two side members, and separating the two floor portions of said base, a pair of vertically spaced pile holding means slida'oly mounted with reference to said backing member and projecting outwardly therefrom, said holding members being adapted to alternately engage the top or bottom of the stack depending on the position of the carrier, and means for positively moving said holding members toward or away from each other, and with reference to the backing member, whereby the pile is raised or lowered and gripped or released by said holding members, said holding members each comprising a pair of spaced fingers, and said backing members having slots to permit passage of said fingers therethrough.

5. A pile reversing device comprising a pile carrier mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis through an angle of 180, said carrier including a normally vertical backing member, upper and lower pile engaging and elevating members, each movable toward and away from the other, slidable with reference to the backing member and projecting outwardly therefrom in the same direction, means for simultaneously actuating both of the pile engaging and elevating members to engage or release the pile and to raise or lower the same, and means for actuating the carrier as a whole, including the backing member, to reverse the pile.

GROVER CLEVELAND MUTCHLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,401,429 Moone Dec. 27, 1921 1,429,327 Daniell Sept. 19, 1922 1,437,547 Pope Dec. 5, 1922 1,878,994 Abbe Sept. 27, 1932 2,293,192 Campbell Aug. 18, 1942 2,348,062 Faber May 2, 1944 

